Precious Things – Chapter 54

Yes, I have been waiting to say that. I love that word. Of course that isn’t counting the epilogue so theres two more to this. *Sigh* I feel sad about it.

Hugs to Dev. She’s mah beta yo. And a damn fine friend too.

Disclaimer: As previously stated. This is pretty vanilla this chapter.

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Time heals all wounds.

That’s the saying isn’t it?

I’m so used to pain that, even though this is by far the worst lashing I’ve ever had, it’s mostly over in a few days. I have painkillers this time and that makes all the difference in the world.

Cathy offers me the rest of the week off school, but insists that Ashley has to go back on Wednesday. I’m still too sore on that day, so I spend it hanging in her room. Cathy’s at work and I’m a little shy around Raife. He makes me lunch and we find a nice easy conversation talking about Ashley as a child.

I think he’s just as nervous back because he seems quite happy when I timidly ask if I can go upstairs and nap.

He’s a nice guy, but I’m not used to men that aren’t ancient and ridiculous.

By Thursday, I’m going out of my mind with worry, so I go back to school, too. I win the argument with both Cathy and Ashley by basically saying that I’m fine. Cathy seems willing to let me decide for myself but Ashley is a harder call.

She’s so worried about me. I can see it in her eyes.

But, in the end, I know she’s secretly glad I’m back at school with her. Even if I do wear my skirt and blouse. She offers me clothes of her own but I’m uncomfortable. I don’t know why.

Maybe it’s because they suggest I’m never going back home, because they remind me that I’m out in no man’s land.

So I just wear my normal gear.

Three things change how I’m feeling. Three little things.

First, telling Ashley that I was thinking about getting an apartment and a job had results that I did not expect.

First she got mad. Then she yelled at me. “You’re the valedictorian, Spencer! You’re not dropping out of school!” Then she did something that completely surprised me. She called her step-mother. Ashley has never, ever brought anyone into our arguments before, not that we really have them. I realised, as Cathy stepped into the room, that my girl was genuinely petrified.

“She says she’s going to drop out of school and get a job!” Ashley told her step-mother.

“That’s ridiculous…”

And that did it. It led to the whole conversation about where I was going to go, the one that ended up involving Raife and Cathy and Ashley and myself, with me in my very own corner.

I don’t think three people could have made it more clear about how welcome I was. In fact, Cathy basically just put her foot down and said I was staying until I went to college and that was that.

When I mentioned, more timid by the second, the money and support aspect, I got unexpected glares. The Davies are rich, and I have been reminded. Firmly.

It’s after that conversation that I come to a resolution of my own. I’ve been alone for so long that I don’t really know how to accept help. And I need help right now. The Davies are my friends, and they’re offering it. It doesn’t take a huge intuitive leap to see where that path leads. So, instead, I promise myself that I’ll pay them back; maybe not till after college when I have a decent job and can afford to do so, but I will.

The second thing that happened was that Ashley and Cathy took me shopping. After declaring my wardrobe a tragedy of epic proportions on a teenage scale, I was summarily marched off to the mall. I now have enough jeans, skirts and tops to last me two weeks before I need to wash. That’s three times the amount of clothes I’ve ever owned before and even then they called it a skeleton closet.

Oh, and some nice things to go out in.

Those are clothes of a type I’ve never owned before.

The third thing that changed was that Cathy finally agreed that I could see my grandfather. Not alone, mind you – she was insistent that either she or Raife had to be with me – but she did agree that we could set up a meeting.

And that’s where I stand today, in jeans and a nice long-sleeved top, a comfortable jacket over the top, and brand new sneakers, staring at the clock on the classroom wall and wondering when the final bell is going to ring.

She forgets a few things. She forgets that I left him. Yes, with her help, but in the end I have to admit to myself that I made the decision to let her know. I made the decision that I’d had enough.

She also forgets that I’m significantly less decrepit than my grandfather and that if he tried to manhandle me I could probably beat him down with a feather. Not that I would, I’d just leave, but yeah.

Plus, with Cathy or Raife there, I don’t know what she thinks might happen.

When the bell rings, my heart jumps into my throat and I nearly jump out of my chair. No one sees except Ashley. I think she watches me like a hawk these days. I guess it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for her, too. She does love me after all.

“You ready?” she asks as I finish packing my books in my bag and stand up.

“As I’ll ever be,” I say back. She grabs my hand and I let her. We haven’t exactly made a huge deal out of public affection and our relationship but there’s no longer a pressing need to hide it, so I don’t.

She swings my hand lazily as we walk out of school, both of us ignoring everyone around us. Probably for different reasons, though.

“You sure you don’t want me to come?” she asks for the millionth time.

“I’m sure,” I reply, squeezing her hand. “You’ll just hit him.”

“He deserves it!”

“Ash,” I chide. She’s so obstinate. I know why she feels that way, but I can’t seem to get my point of view into her head.

She just sighs, and squeezes back.

It’s her step-mother who’s waiting at the gate for us. She must have got the afternoon off work for it.

“Hey, kids. Hop in.”

We do so, and she gives me a smile as Ashley pushes me into the passenger seat. I’m quiet all the way to the Davies mansion, where Ashley takes my bag and hops out, giving me one last look. She comes around to the passenger window, which I lower for her.

“Don’t… don’t take any shit, okay?” she says quickly. Leaning through the window, she plants a quick kiss on my cheek and then takes off.

“Ready?” Cathy asks.

I give her the same answer I gave her step-daughter: “As I’ll ever be.”

I can feel my heart pounding as we pull up in front of the house. I know that my grandfather is waiting inside for me, but I’m so tempted to run away. I don’t know what to say to him. Suddenly I don’t even know what I’m going to say to him.

I open the car door and step out.

I wish I’d worn my skirt and blouse. He’s not going to be happy about my state of dress. I guess it was all part of the new Spencer and I wanted to make that clear.

He opens the door as we step up it. Cathy’s hand is warm and protective on my shoulder. It doesn’t hurt, but then it’s been two-and-a-half weeks since he hit me. I look at him, his passive face and lack of expression, and then I turn and look at her.

I’ve learned how to read her better in the last few weeks. She doesn’t like him. I guess I can’t fault her on that.

I turn back and say it, say what I’m supposed to say.

“Hello, Grandfather.”

“Spencer.” There’s distinct warmth in his voice. He missed me.

He offers us both a tea and we both accept. While we drink the first cup, I ask him questions about the garden, and how it’s going in the fall weather. He answers in general terms, and I realise this conversation is pretty much going nowhere.

After about ten minutes, Cathy gives me a look and says “I think I might go outside for some fresh air.”

She’s giving us time. She’s great like that.

After seeing her out, my grandfather comes back to find that I’ve made us each another cup of tea.

“How is school?” I knew he’d ask that.

“It’s going well, Grandfather,” I reply. “They’ve eased off significantly since our applications went in. Much less homework.”

“I hope you’re still keeping up your study, however.”

“Yes, sir, I am.” It’s true. Ashley can’t believe it, but I still study. Not nearly as much as I did when living here but I still do.

Borderline banal conversation can only take us so far. I know that one of us has to break.

“Are you okay, Spencer?” I know exactly what he’s referring to. Partially just because I know him so well, and partially because he’s not looking at me. He’s looking down into his cup.

“I am,” I say faintly.

“Good.”

I think this is about as close to a ‘sorry’ as I’m going to get.

I look at him and, suddenly, everything changes.

He’s an old man. That’s what I see: an old man. He doesn’t scare me any more. I’m not afraid of him, or his rules. I look around the kitchen, and I know what I’m going to do. I know what I have to do. Not for him, but for me.

I look at him again and I feel even more sorry for him.

He’s just a man who never lived his life, a man who was shattered in a war at a young age, so badly that he never recovered. He’s never known how to love, not properly. He’s never known happiness or real care. He’s just built a box of rules and regulations and lived every day in the confinements.

And he made me live there, too.

But I’m out now. I don’t need to live his coffin existence any more.

He broke the rules when he hit me out of anger instead of punishment. He broke the box.

And I’m free.

“Is there any way -” He takes a deep breath and I realise i’ve never actually heard him sound unsure before. “Any way you might see fit to coming home?”

He really does miss me.

I bite my lip and trace a finger across the table top.

“I don’t think so, Grandfather.”

For once, he doesn’t argue, he just looks sad.

I decide that, even though I owe him nothing, I’ll give him an explanation.

“I can’t live by your rules any more. I just can’t. And I don’t think it’s in any way fair to you for me to live here and expect not to follow them.”

He nods, slowly. “That is valid.”

Wow, he just validated one of my statements. How the mighty have fallen!

“I’m not sure what I”m going to do,” I confess. “The Davies are determined that I shall stay with them. I feel a burden, though.”

“They certainly seem to care about you,” he admits. “I’m… I’m glad.”

I blink.

“I’ll … I’ll sort things out,” he says. “Your birthday is in a few days. You’ll have independence. I’ll discuss with my lawyer.”

51 Comments

Yay, I got a clom hug, my turn to squee :)
I’m so proud of Spencer for standing up for herself
and Ashley is so adorable being overprotective……….. I wonder where one would go to get their own Ashley…… I could seriously use my own Ashley or my own Shane McCutcheon *drools*. yea I think thats enough drooling I’ll drool over them on my own time
as usual great update :)

Oh my god, that was so. I love it, I love stories that are written so well that mean they rise and fall in all the right places and that little closure for Spencer and her grandfather was so well done.

I don’t know if I’ve said it, but I really REALLY love this. It’s just so…beautiful.

Ugh, this is why I’m such a lurker. I have all these thoughts and feelings that I wish I could convey through my words, but when it comes time to actually put them down in a response, I have such a hard time. Just know that this is amazing and beautiful and so much more that I can’t seem to say at the moment.

You and Dev, you guys are just amazing and you make this Southern California girl very very happy.

“Don’t… don’t take any shit, okay?” she says quickly. Leaning through the window, she plants a quick kiss on my cheek and then takes off.

Awww..cuteness! I want an Ashley. Do they sell them? They must have Clom’s trademark though;)

Finally..the talk! I’m so proud of Spencer..of how she handled everything! I expected her Grandfather to be more..I don’t know..strict? Instead, I saw what Spencer saw. An old man who never lived his life! He regretted what he did and I just hope that from now on they can have a normal grandfather-granddaughter relationship! It will take time but they can do it!

He looks up and smiles. “Yes. You always were a fine, upstanding young lady.”

I’m so glad he said that!:)

I’m surprised about Spencer’s decision though..I really thought she was going to live with him again..with no rules that is! I’m glad she’s staying with the Davies and that she’s still going to college!

That made me cry because it was so beautiful. Spencer is incredible mature and understanding,and it was amazing to see a differant side of him.
Thank you for the update!! it was perfect.
Im glad Spencer is going to stay with the davies.

As soon as I start to feel empathy for The GrandFather, one thought of the emotional/physical abuse erases it completely. However, the comments that were left did open my eyes to how complicated it is for Spencer. I guess I could give him credit for raising an amazing person (but I don’t feel like it). I loved all the other characters in this story, but I’m really going to miss Spencer. I’ve followed her around every single day for weeks (thanks, clom), but now I have to let her go. *sigh* She’s gonna have an amazing, happy life from here on out. Yup.

Spencer is healing nicely and wow is she a brave little cookie for her age (and mature) but then again I guess she has had to be. I love this update so much because Spencer is finally taking control of her life and making her own decisions and rules. Ashley is there to support her of course but it was so important that she saw her grandfather by herself. Also the decision to wear her new clothes and be the new Spencer was great. What a show of strength. Anyway Sez my dear thanks for the squee I am very happy to be here and hope you are well. Now if only I could kick my own butt into writing once more lol.

The last 2-3 chapters were pretty smooth with the whole process of the post-hitting. This one, however, is written so good, it’s amazing. Each word has its own place and its own meaning. I’m just speechless, I’ve been reading this fanfiction daily since it was at chapter 5 or 6, so for over a month I’ve been getting home everyday to an update. I feel like this one just put a whole meaning to the fanfiction, like Spencer’s suffering at the beginning happened so that she would finally get peace with her grandfather in this chapter. It concludes every single chapter I’ve read for the past month. Thanks for sharing your writting talent with us and thanks to Dev for her amazing Beta skills.

I’m so happy that Spencer is ready to take her life in her own hands with a little help from the amazing Davies family. And I’m glad that she can still have her grandfather in her life but this time by her rules.
This story is just amazing. You know that don’t you?
But it makes me sad that it has to come to an end.

P.S: I have a question. What is Gramps’ name? I can’t remember if you ever mentioned it :)

Aww man, that made me tear up like whoa. This has probably been my favorite chapter of the whole thing. It’s really good that Spencer and her grandfather cleared the air. What he did was completely uncalled for, but he is still her only real family, and I am glad that they can be in each others lives.

I’m so very impressed with this fic. Not surprised that I am but impresses still.

The pace is slow but always building and all kinds of interesting. It matches Spencer’s personality. Spencer and Ashley’s love for each other is obvious. I like that this hasn’t been all about them getting together. That there’s Spashley aplenty but still very much a story about a girl discovering life. It doesn’t revolve around the two girls, it actually revolves around Spencer and her Grandfather and the life they built together. The shattering and rebuilding of said life.

Grandpa. What are the things I’d like to say about him? He’s had me intrigued from the beginning (actually think I mentioned that in those exact words before). I’ve been curious who he is and what brings a man to become what he is. I in no way accept the man’s way of life nor the way he forced Spencer to live that life as well. Or the beat my granddaughter till she can barely walk freak out he had. This is just the kind of stuff I think about. I love that I don’t just see him as a barrier inserted into the story preventing our lovely girls from getting together but as a breathing character. Leave it to me be fascinated by the character to hate in this fic.

I see Spencer’s reactions to all of this dead on with the person you’ve shown her to be.

Those moments that changes everything. A simple school assignment led to all this. A random pairing by a teacher and life can never be the same.

A chapter and epilogue left. Eagar (sp?) is me.

Oh and I fully got distracted while writing this from the little smiley face in the bottom left hand corner of this page. I don’t even know how I saw it there.

*contented sigh* and all is right with the world… well, almost. i have a feeling i know what the epilogue will be, but i’m not going to put it here, ’cause i’m probably horribly wrong and i don’t want to look stupid.and this way, i can say i was right no matter what, ha ha ha!

you have no idea how much this story has touched me, Clom. It’s amazing, you’re amazing, Dev’s amazing. It’s pretty amazing, yo. Thanks for sharing this.

Verdy nice verdy nice. Hm, so he does have a heart! That’s good to know. I’m kinda glad that they are allowed to see each other. He’s still Spencer’s only family, and he’s, as Spencer said, broken and still loves Spencer. Even if he never really..showed it. That was a good talk they had. Even if it had few few words lol.

Ashley, what a good girlfriend. Haha, I laughed when Ashley freaked out about Spencer dropping out and getting a job. That was really funny how she brought her parents into the equation. She’s so protective. I like it.

Awe! Only 2 more chapters! Wow, this story flew by. It was soo good though.

Valedictorian – New word for the vocabulary there, I had to look that one up. Having been a student for 8 years and graduating twice, I really should have known that word. Anyway, back to the story, I am amazed at how you manage to have me hating Gramps a couple of chapters ago and then in this one really feeling for him, hoping that he is going to be OK: a mark of a great writer. II’m glad that Spencer got some closure too, and can move on and live her life, hopefully with a nice big inheritance and Ashley.

This an amazing update in glad she did get talk with his grandfather and glad he did had regret for he did to her but what made happy the most about this update that she’s a stronger person now im getting alittle sad that fic is going to end soon but its been pleasure to read this story form a wonderful writer like you

Child “Mom can I get an Ashley?”
Mother “Sure honey, but only one”
Child “Oh here’s a ‘28 Days Later’ Ashley, but then theres ‘A Year in the Life’ and ‘A Million Acres of Sky’ two pack Ashley. Or do I want a Spencer .Hmm ‘Precious Things’ Spencer comes with 2 different sets of clothes and a grandfather cutout.”

You always seem to tackle some complex and contoversial subjects in your fics and you handle them with great even handedness and aplomb.

Yes, we all wanted to smackdown the doddery old man a few updates ago but that was because we are so emotionally attached to poor wee Spencer.

I have to say that the subject matter sort of concerned me as to how it would affect me but Clom I have to say you handled it all with great assuredness and diplomacy.

This fic made me grin for Spence as she has realised that she isn’t a victim amnymore, she is taking control of her own life and making her own decisions – eventhough the Davies ladies seem to be able to control her wardrobe, thank God.

Mmmnnnn I knew Spence would still be there for her Grandad as she said, he is the way he is for a lot of reasons and well I am glad she seems to have resolved the matter in her own way.

I love that Ashley is protective of Spencer, but I am so happy that she didn’t go with. I am glad that Spencer and Grandfather got a few minutes alone to talk. It is great that Spencer agrees to seeing her Grandfather from time-to-time.
You are a god Clom and I love this story so much.
Olive Juice Clom.

i have to admit that it’s 3am hamburg/germany
so i try to keep my english work in some way … please blame the early time for any mistakes, so i still can cover my lack of english grammar & orthography ;(

first of all i want to thank you! it’s such a pleasure and joy to read these fics of yours!!!

you’re a great writer and i hope their’s an option that you might come out with novels or any kind of book at some time, ’cause you definitely would have a great future in publishing stories like this!

i’ve spend the last 5h reading the whole fic and i’m beat but very happy!!! it’s one of my favourites this far and if i have any time left maybe i’m going to make an fanart just for fun, ’cause it was very inspiring and of course you will get to see it ;)

so i’m looking forward to read more and leave the kindest greetings you can imagine! :)

*crosses arms* And I can’t bring myself to comment on “The End” just yet because that would be like admitting that it’s really over, and I can’t deal with that right at the moment… after I’m done crying, I think I’m gonna go hire a witch-doctor and have him put a spell on Clomle so she’ll keep writing forever and ever and ever. That’s my plan… *waves hand*

The exchansdge betw5een Sperncer and her Grahndfather was wonderfulfly done. Just…it made sfense. It wasn’t contqrived. It* made Q

DAMNIT!!!! ^ See that up there. That is what you get when you get a monkey who is not Frank to write your damn sentences! Jeraldo – you are fired! I don’t care that today’s the last day you work before your wedding! What the heck does a monkey need to get married for? …No that is not me being discriminating – Oh yeah?! Well if that’s the textbook definition of discrimination why don’t you spell it? Huh? Wait. No.

Don’t go.

JERALLLLDDOOO! I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have-

!!!KER-SLAM!!!

*sigh*

Oy vey.

**

WOO Last chapter is next! Wait….Aww. Clom and Dev = dope. The good kind. Whatever you may consider the good kind to be. ;)